________________________ Spreading the Love of Reading One Book at a Time _______________________
This blog is for anyone whoever picked up a book and couldn't put it down. It's for anyone who loves to read and reads often. It's for anyone like me who's been seduced by a book and can't wait to discuss it.

Lord of the Wolfyn (Royal House of Shadows, #3) by Jessica Andersen

"Good, then listen well. Because of our wounds and the sorcerer's power, the spell turned, warped as your mother and I cast it. The magic has sent you and your brothers and sister far away, as we intended, but it has also tied the four of you to the castle and begun a countdown. When this count enters its final four nights-and not before-you must all return to the island, retake the castle and kill the Blood sorcerer. If you do not, you will die and Elden will be lost. But you must wait until the time is right. Dayn's breath rasped in his lungs; his mind spun. "How will I know?" Gods, was this really happening? A woman will come to guide you home. The countdown begins when she arrives and ends on the fourth night."

The Royal House of Elden was attacked. In an effort to save their children, the Queen cast a spell to send each of them to a different kingdom. At the same time, the King cast a spell so that each of his children would seek vengeance upon the Blood Sorcerer. The two spells merged and then warped. Each child ended up in a different kingdom with the exception of Dayn. He ended up in a different realm. There are three--the kingdom, wolfyn, and human realms. The wolfyn realm is where Dayn ended up and this story begins.

"The older hunters told of the wolfyn taking human form and seducing the most beautiful women they could find...and then killing and eating them. Those were just stories, though."

Reda had been searching for a book for years, entitled Rutakoppchem, an alternate version of Red Riding Hood. In this version the wolf was not only sinister, but a seducer as well. The book had been a gift from her mother. Her father had sold it years ago in attempt to help his daughter overcome her mother's death and her disillusions about a magical world. When Reda finally finds the book, it transports her to another realm, the wolfyn realm, where she meets Dayn and discovers she's his guide. While the tale her mother had given her was started, it was never completed. Additionally, she doesn't remember anything of the magical world of her childhood, so how is it possible that she can guide anyone? Isn't that like the blind leading the blind? Plus, most myths and legends are based on fact. Distinguishing fact from fiction, however, is not always the easiest thing to do. That is something Reda will need to do. Elden's survival depends on her making the right choice.

This is the third book of the Royal House of Shadows tetralogy/quartet. We are slowly starting to get a better view of the overall picture of what is happening in Elden and beyond. Each book gives us a little more insight as to how the series will conclude. I must say I look forward to seeing how Nalini Singh (one of my favorite authors) will finish the tale. She needs to write Micha's story, plus, she's the anchor for this team of authors and will need to bring the previous three stories together to the series conclusion in Lord of the Abyss.

'Lord of the Wolfyn' is my favorite so far of the Royal House of Shadows saga. While I've loved each of the stories thus far, something about this one just seemed a little more magical to me. This is the first book I've read by Jessica Anderson, but it won't be my last. I loved how Jessica took the story of Little Red Riding Hood and changed it to make it her own.

I loved how the blank pages of the book symbolize how Reda needs to find her own way and, in a manner of speaking, create her own story. The phrase "life's what you make it" comes to mind. I also like that Reda grows as a person. When we first meet her we learn she's a former police officer who froze when put in a dangerous situation. Her lack of action caused her partner to lose his life. In order to fulfill her destiny, she'll have to overcome the fear that causes her to freeze.

While Reda suffers from guilt, she is not the only one. Dayn feels guilty for leaving his post after an argument with his parents. He believes if he'd been at the castle at the time of the attack he could have changed the outcome of what happened. He will need to deal with some of his own issues while attempting to find his way back to Elden. Plus, he needs to get his priorities straight and learn what his father meant when he said he need to stay true to himself.

The attraction between Reda and Dayn is instantaneous and steamy, but complicated. Neither knows the other, and they only have four days to find a way back to Eldon and save the Kingdom. At the end of the period it is thought Reda will return home. Plus, with the Kingdom at stake they need to try to stay focused on the task at hand.

There are so many things I loved in this story. I think Jessica added elements she loved from other fairy tales. There is an evil "witch" bent on keeping Dayn from returning home, a dragon that will come into play and a few twists and turns because a good fairytale is never ever supposed to be predictable. A most enjoyable read from Ms. Andersen. Hey, is she related to Hans Christian Andersen? *chuckle*

On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a SHOWER rating - a cold shower may be necessary after reading this book. Need I say more? I believe some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. Overall, I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses.